Category Archives: LES DUDES

Male Must Haves for the Diligently Dapper

April 14, 2017

As you enter your 30’s men start seeing signs of aging and for some it sneaks up sooner and for the lucky ones it’s not until your mid 30’s. No matter how blessed your gene pool either way, a daily routine is needed to slow down the pace while exuding radiant confidence. Being conscientious in our demeanor is what makes us truly dapper. Its not always easy with balancing work, play, dates, hopefully sex and sleep so I’ve made a list to narrow down your search for the products that sincerely work and will add that extra vigor needed to remain on top of your game. Botox and Hydra Facials take time and not every man likes to spend an hour or more in a doctor’s office, so I’m here to help you stay fresh and poised for the elegant man on the go.

Keep in mind that all skin types are different, however, following this routine you should never worry about looking dull, tired or hung-over again. Here is some gentlemanly advice to keep you on the right track.

Morning Routine

Exfoliate your face and body everyday!

Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Face Scrub wipes away toxins and invigorates with finely ground Ecuadorian Palm Seeds.

Malin Goetz Peppermint Body Scrub is a foaming exfoliate mixing peppermint, amino acids, bamboo and pumice to help shed dead skin and stimulate cell renewal.

Never forget to use a toner after you cleanse your face!

Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner is alcohol-free and uses rose-petal water, aloe vera and Thayers’ proprietary Witch Hazel extract for smooth toned skin.

Facial oils, moisturizers and eye creams are a MUST in maintaining youthful hydrated skin.

Herbivore Phoenix Face Oil is an absolute favorite using natural CoQ10 to dramatically rejuvenate your skin at the cellular level.

Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Moisturizer SPF 15 replenishes skin and protects against harmful UVA/UVB rays and is formulated mixing Sesame Seed Oil and Hyaluronic Acid.

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment is a proprietary blend of fruit stem cells and antioxidant-rich botanical juices as well as Vitamin C to reduce dark circles under the eyes.

Body oils and mists are the new body moisturizer and lasts longer.  

Immunocologie Body Serum is an anti-inflammatory treatment using a unique combination of African desert date seed oil, sunflower seed oil and Brazilian protium heptaphyllum resin to boost skin vitality and radiance.

Jack Black All-Over Body Spray combines mint and rosemary to create an invigorating scent for all men and can also be used as a deodorant for those who don’t like aluminum based products.

All dapper gentleman need to maintain a proper hairstyle.

Moroccanoil Original Treatment can be used as a conditioning, styling and finishing tool. Infused with antioxidant-rich argan oil and shine boosting vitamins, this completely transformative hair treatment detangles, speeds up drying time and boosts shine. I use it before I blow dry daily for silky smooth hair.

Baxter of California Grooming Cream is the perfect pre-style cream. Apply to hair as a “primer” for manageability and overall conditioning then follow with normal styling regimen, including Baxter of California’s collection of versatile pomades.

Baxter of California Pomades is easily applied to wet hair for a wet-look finish, or to dry hair for a more natural look with less definition.

 

Nighttime Routine

Always use a gentle enzyme face wash before bed and never go to sleep with a dirty face or without repairing eye cream.

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel is perfect for all skin types and is a refreshing gel which features fruit enzymes and alpha-hydroxy acids found naturally in Papaya and Grapefruit Extracts to dissolve away impurities.

Herbivore Brighten Instant Glow Mask uses gentle Pineapple and Papaya enzymes combined with micronized Brazilian White Tourmaline gemstone and rice powder, which has been used in Japan for centuries, to give you a vibrant complexion.

Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water Get-Toner immediately melts from a treatment gel to a water toner as it is massaged into the skin. Marshmallow and green tea soothe and diminish the look of redness, while cucumber and witch hazel extracts tone and tighten. Manuka, a relative of tea tree oil, in conjunction with black cumin and magnolia bark extracts, provides purifying properties to balance oily and problem skin conditions while promoting a visibly improved, clearer, smoother, and shine-free complexion.

Sunday Riley UFO Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil is a quick-absorbing, medicated dry oil to clear congested pores, prevent and treat blemishes, and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for clearer, perfect skin.

Immunocologie Intense Eye Cream stimulates blood flow and eliminates impurities from around the orbital eye area. The Lannea Microcarpa fruit extract, has a vasoconstrictor effect when applied on the skin, reducing the capillary enlargement that causes puffiness and dark circles.

XX Jonathan Stinson

Photo credit: Immunocologie, Sunday Riley, Baxter of California and
Jack Black images by MaryGray.co

Groom “I Dos” For Traveling!

March 30, 2017

We always hear about what the bride should be packing and stressing about for her destination wedding or honeymoon but what about the groom? Luckily, us women have this inherent talent of packing the bags whenever traveling, but guys need to work a bit harder on it. The Art of Shaving and Vilebrequin’s travel items are ideal for the traveling groom as it makes packing easier for him and guarantee optimal travels so he’s “I-Do” ready.

 

The Art of Shaving Travel Kit: Now in new packaging, The Art of Shaving Travel Kit provides a close and comfortable shave while you’re away. The compact and water-resistant Travel Kit is perfect for the seasoned traveler and comes complete with convenient travel pumps of Pre-Shave Oil (1 oz), Shaving Cream (1.7oz), After-Shave Balm (1 oz), and a Pure Badger Travel Shaving Brush.  Your shave will be close and comfortable wherever travel takes you. Available at The Art of Shaving Store locations and at TheArtOfShaving.com.

      

The Morris Park Collection Razor: The Art of Shaving’s vintage racing inspired Morris Park Collection™* Razor combines smooth handling and bold style to evoke the confidence of a vintage race car. Exclusively designed by The Art of Shaving, each razor features a classic racing color polished to a beautiful finish and accented with chrome details. The Morris Park Collection Razor also comes in Royal Blue and British Racing Green, each for $60. Available at The Art of Shaving Store locations and at TheArtOfShaving.com.

Vilebrequin is further expanding its role as ambassador for the art of living around the beach with a men’s swim line that can be an ideal item for the traveling groom. These swim trunks featuring fun and playful motifs will keep them looking as the most stylish guy while they’re relaxing poolside before the nuptials. Available at Vilebrequin Boutiques and at Vilebrequin.com.

 

 

Juice Beauty: One of My Top Favorite Organic Products on the Market – by Jonathan Stinson

February 6, 2017

After trying four products from Juicy Beauty, The Organic Solution, I was absolutely obsessed. You can actually feel your skin hydrating as you add each product. I personally use four of Juice Beauty’s products consisting of: Organic Treatment Oil, Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer, Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment and the Full Strength Green Apple Peel. All of these are insanely powerful and leave your skin feeling healthy with no stress of chemicals or toxins as the brand prides itself on pure organic ingredients. Juice Beauty Founder, Karen Behnke said, “At Juice Beauty we believe in advanced beauty solutions that harness the best of certified organic ingredients to deliver clinically validated skincare and vibrant plant-pigment makeup that provide beautiful results, enrich your well-being, and sustain the Earth.”

Let me break it down by product:

Organic Treatment Oil– Every organic drop delivers concentrated hydration, potent antioxidants and vital nutrients to the skin. Antioxidant-rich organic cranberry seed, grape seed and carrot seed oils are blended with essential fatty acids and botanicals to deeply moisturize for a healthy, revitalized complexion. Juice Beauty’s Organic Treatment Oil is designed for all skin types and especially beneficial for normal, dry or mature skin. This is a facial treatment oil can also be used on all dry spots including elbows, heels and even as a deep hair conditioner which I use often before I use my blow dryer.

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer– is plumped with a vitamin C, resveratrol-rich grape seed formula to create a visibly firmed appearance of the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It has certified organic, antioxidant-rich ingredients and plant oils that hydrate and improve elasticity for lasting, advanced age defy results. Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular Moisturizer is ideal for all skin types and especially beneficial for skin showing the signs of aging including fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage.

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment– A proprietary blend of fruit stem cells and vitamin C infused into certified organic, antioxidant-rich juices works to create a smoother, firmer appearance and improve elasticity, while reducing the appearance of dark circles and fine lines around the eyes for lasting, advanced age defy results. Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment is designed for all skin types and especially beneficial for skin showing the signs of aging including fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage. It renews the skin’s surface around the delicate eye area with vitamins C, E & B5. Visibly reduces appearance puffiness around the eyes with organic essential fatty acids of evening primrose, borage & linseed. I also noticed it delivers rich hydration around the eye area with organic antioxidant-rich jojoba and shea.

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Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength– This amazing peel exfoliates with Juice Beauty’s patented, bestselling, potent alpha and beta-hydroxy acid peel that delivers spa grade exfoliation, revealing a brighter complexion while creating firmer-looking skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation for optimum age-defying results. Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Peel Full Strength is designed for all skin types (except sensitive skin), 20’s and up and is effective for reducing the appearance of dark spots, and uneven skin tone and texture. Evens skin tone and texture with a spa grade exfoliation from a potent patented dose of alpha hydroxy acids (malic, citric & tartaric from organic fruits, glycolic and lactic acids) and beta hydroxy acid (salicylic acid from willow bark).

Get to know the wonderful Juice Beauty Founder, Karen Behnke:

Masterminded by a California team passionate about healthy lifestyles and whose organic products are backed by powerful science. It all started when Karen Behnke, a serial wellness entrepreneur, who built one of the first corporate wellness companies in the country, developed a keen interest in personal care products upon becoming pregnant with her first child at the age of 40.

Experiencing hormonal changes and the beginning of lines in her skin, Karen set out to find healthy skincare solutions that delivered visible results. She was astounded to learn that, although the skin absorbs over 60% of what is placed on it, there were very few available healthy personal care products that worked well. She wanted to create meaningful change in the beauty industry.

Years after her second child was born, Karen subsequently bought the name “Juice Beauty” in 2004 and launched the Company from scratch in 2005. Karen set out to do the impossible: to create organic and natural formulations that perform as well as conventional beauty products yet never compromise on the luxurious experience. Over 5 years, Karen’s team worked with PhD chemists, physicians, and microbiologists to perfect Juice Beauty’s chemistry. Juice Beauty’s revolutionary formulations started with a basic premise: Karen believed that by formulating with an antioxidant and vitamin-rich organic botanical juice base, rather than petroleum derivatives or added water, and combining it with powerful skin care ingredients, it could yield equal or better results than conventional or natural products. Multiple clinical testing proved her right. The company really started growing when the GREEN APPLE™ Peel – now patented – escalated to fame through celebrity favorite mentions and media awards.

Today, Juice Beauty offers award winning (InStyle, ELLE, Allure, EWG awards) skincare, makeup and hair care products that meet rigorous U.S., organic regulations supported by solid eco-values that include purchasing many ingredients locally from West Coast certified organic farmers and manufacturing strictly in the U.S.A. often with solar power, utilizing sustainable containers and printing with soy ink. Juice Beauty also provides donations to five chosen charities.

XX Jonathan Stinson

 

 

 

More Valentines Goodies from Clarins, Art of Shaving + Vilebrequin

January 20, 2017

Limited Edition Daily Energizer Lovely Lip Balm: With a lightweight texture, Clarins Lovely Lip Balm perfectly smoothesover lips and leaves a subtle veil of rosy radiance. Its innovative pigment reacts to the pH of the lips, creating unique shades of pink, Formulated with cocoa, sheabutter and red currant to deliver 8 hours of hydration and instantly provide suppleness, comfort and protection so lips feel soft, smooth and beautiful. Available for $20 at all Clarins counters nationwide and on www.clarins.com.

 

Limited Edition Skin Illusion Blush: Clarins Skin Illusion Blush’s ultra-fine powder is enriched with skin-loving minerals and pure plant extracts for a naturally radiant finish. Clarins Laboratories have pinpointed Pink Opal Powder’s unique light-deflecting ability, to recreate a luminous effect on the skin’s surface. Available for $21.50 at all Clarins counters nationwide and on www.clarins.com

Vilebrequin

 

Vilebrequin’s Gold Palm Collection is a love story in itself. A collection inspired by the romance of cinema’s golden star couples, Bardot and Trintignant, Schneider and Delon and Le Grand Amour. Ranging from $200-$300 and the Gold Palm Collection is available on vilebrequin.com and at your local Vilebrequin store location. The collection includes:

The Art of Shaving

OUD Collection: This February, The Art of Shaving is launching its most exclusive fragrance, Oud Suede, across the four elements to men can continue to elevate their grooming routine. The new collection includes, Oud Suede Fragrance (100ml/30ml), Oud Suede Pre-Shave Oil, Oud Suede Shave Cream, Oud Suede After-shave Balm. The combination of Oud and Cypriol naturals enables a deep woody ambery sensuality with a full focus on the skin-like warmth, perfect for Valentine’s Day. Available for at The Art of Shaving Stores (theartofshaving.com) this February.

The 4 Elements of The Perfect Shave® Full Size Kit: Combines high quality products, handcrafted accessories and expert shaving technique to provide optimal shaving results while helping against ingrown hairs, razor burn, and nicks & cuts. The Full Size Kit offers Pre-Shave Oil (2 fl. oz), Shaving Cream (5.0 oz), After-Shave Balm (3.3 fl. oz), and a handcrafted Badger Shaving Brush and comes in the following signature scents, Lavender, Lemon, Ocean Kelp, Sandalwood and Unscented. The Full Size Kit is available for $120 at The Art of Shaving Stores (theartofshaving.com)

The 4 Elements of The Perfect Shave® Carry On Kit: Combines The Art of Shaving’s aromatherapy-based products, handcrafted accessories and expert shaving technique to provide optimal shaving results while helping against ingrown hairs, razor burn, and nicks & cuts. The Carry-On contains a Pre-Shave Oil Pump (1 fl. oz.), Shaving Cream Pump (1.5 fl.) oz., Badger Shaving Brush, After-Shave Balm Pump (1 fl. oz.), which are essentials for a close and comfortable shave while you are on the go. The pouch is designed with a zip top closure for secure transport and is ideal for packing into your carry-on luggage. The Carry-On Kit is available for $60 at The Art of Shaving Stores (theartofshaving.com)

The Morris Park Collection Signal Red Razor: The Art of Shaving’s vintage racing inspired Morris Park Collection™* Razor combines smooth handling and bold style to evoke the confidence of a vintage race car. Exclusively designed by The Art of Shaving, each razor features a classic racing color polished to a beautiful finish and accented with chrome details. The Morris Park Collection Razor also comes in Royal Blue and British Racing Green, each for $60. Available at The Art of Shaving Stores (theartofshaving.com)

The Rose Gold Safety Razor Set by Mühle of Germany adds a touch of classic elegance to our line of safety razors. The well designed rose gold colored handles will deliver a close shave while setting itself apart as a stylish addition to any shaving routine. Available for $355 at The Art of Shaving Stores (theartofshaving.com).

 

 

 

David Beckham has the Perfect Holiday Gift for Men!

December 7, 2016

Fellas, are you still searching for a great set of skincare products perfectly designed for the men that love to pamper themselves and look good doing it? Biotherm Homme has answered your prayers. This three-step skincare regime that every GQ-reading stylish man needs is Biotherm Homme’s Force Supreme Youth Architect Serum, Total Recharge Non-Stop Moisturizer, and the daily Cleansing Gel. These are the most effective secret weapons against aging and dull skin.

Force Supreme Youth Architect Serum stops multi-signs of aging and keeps your skin looking youthful throughout the day. Biotherm Homme developed a multitasking serum, specially designed for the adult man, to eliminate wrinkles. Taking advantage of the Biotherm expertise, Force Supreme Youth Architect Serum helps skin feel stronger and healthier. The formula with Algae extract, Life Plankton and Pro-Xylane, comes in a non-sticky cream texture that can be used everyday. Skin looks firmer and more even. Use this product every night and within a week, you will start to notice your skin (especially around those annoying frown lines) is noticeably firmer. The product has a rugged, outdoor woodsy scent to it that is manly but doesn’t irritate skin, and absorbs pretty quickly with no flaking or residue left behind. Biotherm Homme’s Force Supreme Youth Architect Serum is recommended by internationally known influencers such as David Beckham and fashion blogger, Mariano Di Vaio.

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Total Recharge Non-Stop Moisturizer reverses fatigue and discoloration with this powerful double-duty moisturizer. Even after a sleepless night, this product allows your face to be re-energized and revitalized while your complexion is fresh and radiant. Day after day, the skin is softer and presents less signs of tiredness on the skin. Leave those sunglasses in the car and don’t worry about the typical “you look tired” from co-workers as this product reduces those unwanted dark circles under your eyes and also feels very refreshing and tingly. Total Recharge visibly wakens skin and gives a “4 hour extra sleep” effect.

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Cleansing Gel for Normal Skin rids skin of impurities while respecting the skin’s surface. Preps face for shaving without leaving a greasy film on the skin. This product is necessary for all men as it thoroughly cleanses without drying out your face. Use this product while in the shower and follow with Force Supreme Youth Architect Serum and the Total Recharge Non-Stop Moisturizer for best results.

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#BehindTheScenes of Biotherm Homme Thermal Plankton has been around for more than 3 billion years before dermatologists demonstrated its regenerating properties on the skin in 1930s. Two decades later, biologists managed to integrate it into skincare formulas and Biotherm was born. Guys got their own range of tailored skincare products in 1985 when they pioneered the concept because men’s skin is rougher, thicker and much less likely to get waxed.

– Jonathan Stinson